Before it's too late
by dreamygirl88
Summary: Nathan starts to see that bond between Peter and Claire isn't normal uncle-niece bond, and he must do something about this before it's too late. Spoilers - only end of season 1, a little changed by me.


''Ok, I'll tell them'' Nathan put back his cellphone and started walking again around Kirby Plaza. He just needed to find Peter and Claire and tell them that Bennet, some cop and radioactive man are on their way. He still couldn't believe that they drew him in this everything. He made few more steps and spotted them finally. He moved towards them but stopped when he heard Claire's sad voice.

''I hurt everybody because of who I am'' Nathan looked at her surprised, she was crying. He stood close enough to see this but they didn't see him. He couldn't believe that Claire thought about herself in that way. But what he knew about her? Almost nothing. Peter was the one who was by her side and deep inside Nathan was grateful

that he wasn't the one to comfort her. He wouldn't know how.

''But you, when I met you I finally felt like part of something'' Claire continued not knowing that Nathan was listening. He knew that Peter and Claire were close but hearing sentence like that in her mouth made him wonder...

''It's funny but I felt the same when I met you'' Peter wiped away her tear and looked at her a little too long. Nathan didn't know what to think but it didn't look like conversation between uncle and his niece.

Claire looked back at Peter but turned around when she saw that Nathan was coming.

''They're on their way.'' Nathan informed noticing that both of them looked a little distracted. He felt like he interrupted in something intimate and he didn't like it.

--

Claire was still sitting with Noah at Kirby Plaza though it was already late. They're gone. Peter and Nathan. Gone. She still couldn't believe and she didn't want to leave this place. She was waiting for some miracle.

''Claire, I really think we should...'' Noah started but was cut off by some noise.

''Claire...'' Claire turned around at the sound of her name just to see Nathan walking towards her with Matt's help. He looked horrible but was allive.

''Oh my God'' Claire quickly got up and run to ambrace him. Nathan didn't think that she would be worried about him so much but when he pulled her closer he was happy that she did. He finally felt that he had daughter.

''I thought you're dead'' Claire said when they pulled away.

''We just found him'' Matt said looking at her.

''What about Peter?'' she whispered slowly afraid of answer.

''We're still looking for him.''

''When we were up, he managed to pushed me away. I saw the explosion when I was already on ground.'' Nathan explained seeing tears in Claire eyes.

In that moment Matt cellphone rang and he excused himself leaving them alone.

Bennet appeared next to Claire and put his healthy arm around her. ''We should be getting back Claire.''

''No..''

''Claire I am sorry, he's my brother and it hurts me too but I don't think that he's...''Nathan couldn't finish because Matt appeared next to them again.

''It's Peter, my people found him but it looks like he's dead.''

''No! He can't be dead.''

''Claire I'm sorry but no one could survive such explosion'' Matt turned around to look at Nathan ''I need you to come with me.''

''I am going with you'' Claire said immediately.

''You really shouldn't see this'' Matt said.

''I don't care. You don't understand. It's Peter. If he can't heal by himself that means that he needs me. Please let me go.''

Nathan hadn't seen her so desperate before. He looked at Noah who nodded.

''Ok.''

--

Claire felt indescribable pain in her heart and all her body when she saw Peter's lifeless body on the ground. She saw him dead before but this time was much worse. His shirt was torn and she could she that his body was burnt in many places as well as half of his face.

Nathan looked away, he couldn't stand this. It was too painful.

Matt sent away all his people and only three of them stayed with Peter.

Claire moved towards Peter and Nathan looked back at him.

''Peter..'' she whispered through her tears kneeling next to him. She moved closer to him and started stroking his hair just like once before, but this time there wasn't any piece of glass at the back of his head. ''Why you don't want to heal?'' Just when she said that she put her hand on burnt side of his face and looked surprised when burnt skin under her fingers started healing.

''Oh my God'' Matt said when he and Nathan saw what was going on.

Claire put her other hand on Peter's chest in next burnt place and she could see that it healed also. His body was getting stronger and other injuries healed without her help. She laid her head down on his chest and finally could hear his heart beating. She was laying in that way until she felt fingers moving through her hair and heard weak voice.

''Claire..''

She raised her head and saw that he was looking at her. He was allive. She smiled. ''I'm here. I'm here.'' They forgot that they weren't alone, just stared at each other smiling.

Nathan knew that he should focus only on the thought that Peter was allive but somehow he couldn't. He couldn't feel full relief when the two of them were looking at each other the way they did, when his hand was in her hair and her on his naked chest. They were unconscious of this everything, even of the fact that their faces were so close that they could...O God, what he was thinking about...

''You can't blame them.'' Nathan turned around just to see Matt looking at him. Great, he almost forgot that mind reader was next to him and now he knew what thoughts was on his mind.

But that also meant that not only he saw what was going on between Peter and Claire.

--

''I've made my decision'' Nathan said looking through the papers on his desk.

''But why?'' Peter couldn't understand his brother's behaviour. ''She's your daughter Nathan. She should stay here with us.''

''Like you said Peter - she's my daughter.'' Nathan said putting stress on last part of the sentence. ''And I decides what concern her, don't forget it.''

''Maybe she's old enough to decide by herself where she wants to be.''

''I'm not going to ask her because I know what she'll say. And what about you? Why you insist so much on her staying here?''

''She's our family, your daughter, my niece...''

''Good you said that aloud.''

Peter looked at him surprised ''What do you mean?''

''Nothing'' If Peter didn't have any idea about what was going on between him and his niece, or was too blind to see it, Nathan wasn't going to tell him. He just had to end this before it's too late. ''I know there's these bond between you two but...''Nathan started but was suddenly cut off by Peter.

''You want to know why I insist so much on her staying here?''

Nathan was now surprised. It seems that Peter was about to confess what was on his mind and in his heart, but Nathan wasn't sure if he liked it.

''She's not only my niece, she's something more, much more.''

''I don't want to listen this.'' Nathan looked back through his papers couldn't stand looking into Peter's eyes when he was talking about Claire.

Peter, on the other hand, didn't notice Nathan's beahaviour and countinued. ''There's this connection between us. I can't explain this, but I can't treat her just like my niece. After all we've been through...She's like friend, like soulmate...

Nathan couldn't listen anymore how his brother was talking about his daughter. ''She's leaving Peter. I've made my decision. Accept that.'' He looked once again into Peter's eyes just to see his brother's hurted look. He didn't want to hurt them but he knew that maybe in this way he prevent much worse tragedy.

--

''I can't believe he's doing this'' Claire looked at Nathan who was talking with Noah next to his car. They left Peter and Claire in front of house to give them some privacy. ''But I should predict that he doesn't want me in his busy life.''

''It's not that he doesn't want you. He just doesn't understand.''

Claire looked into Peter's warm eyes. Among all Petrelli family she'll be missing him the most. It's like someone is taking away part of her. ''So, this is goodbye'' she said trying not to cry, but when Peter drew her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her she just couldn't help it, single tear escaped her eye.

''It's gonna be ok.'' Peter felt her body trembling so he tightened his grip and started stroking her hair. Claire wrapped her arms around his waist and burried her head in his chest. She felt safe with him. If she ever going to feel the same way away from him?

Nathan looked at them when Noah was packing Claire's bags into the boot. He felt like he was destroying something beautiful and wrong at the same time. He quickly looked away to give them their last moment together.

Claire pulled away from Peter first and then he could see that she was crying.

''Hey, don't cry, we'll see each other again'' he said and wiped away her tears. She'll be missing this too.

''Yea, I know'' she smiled slighty just to assure him that she was ok. She turned away to see that Noah was already in car waiting for her. She looked back at Peter. ''It's time.''

''Yeah'' Peter said sadly. He tried not to show his sadness just to make feel Claire better, but he couldn't help already feeling empty inside. He cupped her face and pressed his lips to her forehead in sweet, gentle kiss.

''I'll be missing you'' she whispered and looked at him again when he pulled away.

''I'll be missing you too, but hey, we're making tragedy, there are phones, remember?'' he smiled trying to lighten situation.

''Yeah'' she smiled back. For moment they both just stared at each other.

''Bye Peter'' she said last time and turned away moving towards her father's car.

''Bye Claire'' Peter whispered after her.

''It'll be better that way'' Peter heard Nathan who suddenly appeard next to him and he turned around to look at him.

''I still don't understand why you did it''

Nathan patted Peter on his back. Maybe you don't understand but I did it for you, for her, for us all. I don't want anybody hurts'' with that he went back inside house and Peter looked last time at Claire who was already by car. She turned around just to met Peter's eyes fixed on her. She smiled slighty but it was sad smile. Not the same she used to gave him looking at him. But in her eyes was something different, maybe it was there all the time but he just didn't notice it earlier. He couldn't say what it was but he was sure that it was something devoted just for him.

And then, suddenly he understood.

--


End file.
